PRAU President Irene Nakasiita set the tone from the opening remarks. Welcoming partners, students, and seasoned professionals, she framed the day less as a conference and more as an inheritance, an opportunity for the profession to pause, take stock, and pass on something stronger to the next generation of practitioners. She encouraged delegates to see the hours ahead not as an obligation, but as an opportunity to learn, reflect, and grow.
“Treat today as an opportunity, not an obligation.”
That framing gave the day’s theme its urgency: “Back to the Basics: Closing the Gap Between Textbook and Practice.” What could have sounded like a modest, even defensive theme for a profession celebrating fifty years instead became the thread that tied the entire symposium together.
An expert panel, moderated by Danniella Mugala, confronted the theme directly. Helen Nanteza Kawesa brought the discipline and experience of Parliament’s communications machinery. Jimmy Kiberu shared the fast-paced realities of corporate communications at Bayer Crop Science. Nada Andersen offered the agency perspective from Star Leo Agency, while Yasmin Katushabe of Makerere University represented the academic view. Together, they painted a picture of a profession where theory and practice have gradually drifted apart, and whose fiftieth anniversary presents the perfect opportunity to bridge that divide.
“Back to the Basics: Closing the Gap Between Textbook and Practice.”
If the panel established the argument, the Fireside Chat with veteran journalist Alan Kasujja provided its strongest evidence. Drawing from a career spanning three decades and forty-eight African countries, Kasujja spoke less about communication theory and more about the principles that sustain a lasting career. He reflected on the deliberate cultivation of influence, credibility earned over time, and relationships built through consistency rather than convenience.
“Credibility is earned in increments. Relationships should be tended, not transacted.”
Even his years at the BBC, he explained, were never simply about employment. They represented a strategic exchange of value, built through trust, integrity, and genuine human connection. His story transformed the day’s theme from an academic discussion into a lived experience, demonstrating that the gap between textbook knowledge and professional practice is ultimately bridged through character and consistency.
That same message carried into one of the symposium’s most reflective moments. As Immediate Past President, Ms. Wamala took the stage to reflect on #PRAUAt50, bringing the significance of the anniversary into sharp focus. Fifty years, she observed, is itself the profession’s strongest case study, demonstrating that public trust is built patiently, consistently, and over time, just as Kasujja had described throughout his own career.
“Trust remains the profession’s greatest currency.”
She challenged practitioners to ensure that the milestone becomes a launchpad for mentorship, professionalization, and the continued strengthening of the industry, rather than simply a celebration of past achievements.
The responsibility of bringing the day’s conversations to a close fell to the Chief Guest, Hon. Justine Kasule Lumumba, Minister for Information, Communications Technology and National Guidance. Commending the leadership of PRAU, she challenged delegates to think beyond the day’s theme. In an era defined by instant information and rapidly shifting public expectations, she argued, organizations can no longer focus solely on mastering their message.
“Beyond the Headlines.”
They must master the broader discipline of communication itself, because in today’s world, the message and the manner in which it is communicated have become inseparable.
By the close of the symposium, the fundamentals PRAU had set out to revisit no longer felt basic. They had emerged as the enduring foundation upon which the next fifty years of public relations in Uganda will be built. The conversations throughout the day reinforced a simple but enduring truth: trust is not built by sophisticated communication tools or clever messaging. It is earned through credibility, strengthened through consistency, and sustained through authentic relationships.
